Family photo released to mark Prince Edward’s 50th birthday

A family photo of the Earl and Countess of Wessex with their two children Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn has been released by Buckingham Palace today to mark the Earl’s 50th birthday.

The photograph was taken by Millie Pilkington (the same photographer who took the personal photographs of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011) in the dining room at Bagshot Park, their family home.

Prince Edward, who is The Queen’s youngest son and 8th in line to the throne, has already held celebrations for his birthday at his home on Saturday, which The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, among other guests, attended. Other guests included Lord Linley and Lady Helen Taylor.

Tomorrow, the Prince and his wife will conduct two public engagements to do with his charity, the Wessex Youth Trust, visiting Robert Browning Community School in London before a visit to the London Air Ambulance.

Later, the Earl and Countess of Wessex will join The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for Commonwealth Observance at Westminster Abbey to mark Commonwealth Day.

The Earl was originally scheduled to travel to Russia the day after to attend the Paralympic Games in Sochi, though this visit had to be cancelled due to tensions over the Crimea.